BARROW suffered one of its biggest losses of life on this day 75 years ago at the start of what became known as the Barrow Blitz. 

What appears to have been a single German bomber destroyed houses, a hotel and church between 3.05am and 4.40am on April 14 in 1941 – leaving 19 people dead. 

The Evening Mail was under wartime reporting restrictions and couldn’t identify Barrow as the target of the raid. 

The April 14 edition in 1941 noted: “A number of people were killed as the result of the raid on a North-West town. 

“Damage was done by a single bomber which flew over the town early this morning and dropped high-explosive bombs. “Two fell on commercial premises, where there was slight damage. 

"Another caused seven men to be injured, but not seriously. 

“Another bomb demolished six houses in a working-class area and a commercial hotel was almost completely wrecked, while a church was badly damaged and other property in the area suffered some damage.” 

The Air Ministry issued a communiqué which again did not name Barrow. 

It said: “Last night enemy activity over this country was again slight but small numbers of bombs were dropped at one or two coastal points. “These were generally ineffective but in one town, in the North-West of England, some damage was done and some persons were killed.” 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records 81 civilian war deaths in the County Borough of Barrow during the Second World War – 19 of them on April 14 in 1941. Those Barrow names are among 67,092 commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour at St George’s Chapel, in London’s Westminster Abbey. 

We pay tribute here to those killed in the raid on April 14 and will look at the effects of the raid of April 15 to 16 and the longer period of bombing – from May 3 to 10 – in later articles. April 14 deaths: Husband, wife and daughter, Frank, Edna and Barbara Carr, were all killed at 44 Vernon Street. 

Frank was aged 28, his wife was 25 and their baby daughter was aged just nine months. 

Baby Barbara was the youngest known victim of the Barrow Blitz. 

Albert Wilfred Edney died at Dalkeith Street. 

He was aged 53 and was the husband of Elizabeth Edney, of 7 Coulton Street, Barrow. 

Husband, wife and son, William, Rosina and William Hannan, died in their home at 42 Vernon Street. 

William was 49, his wife 45 and their son was aged 25.

William Herron, aged 67, died at 1 Dalkeith Street. 

He was the husband of Susanna, of 28 South Drive, Broughton, Preston. 

Mr Herron had been staying at the Trevelyan Hotel. Ada Charlotte Jenner, 56, also died at the hotel.

She was the wife of William and they lived at 16 St Helen’s Road, Drayton, Portsmouth in Hampshire. 

Two members of the Marsh family were killed at 38 Vernon Street. 

John Enoch Marsh was aged 72. Ethel Rachel Marsh was aged 26 and was the wife of W. Marsh. 

Mary Pemberton, 24, was another victim of the Trevelyan Hotel bombing. She was the wife of C. J. Pemberton. Husband and wife, John and Elizabeth Rankin, were both killed at their home in 48 Vernon Street. 

Elizabeth was aged 55 and John was 58. Edith Raven, 36, died at 46 Vernon Street. 

She was the daughter of William and Isabella McCarter, of 9 Derry Street and the wife of AC2 Richard Fleming Raven, from the Royal Air Force, of 46 Vernon Street. 

Four members of the Rogers family died at 40 Vernon Street – spanning three generations. The eldest was Mary Maria Rogers, aged 83. 

She was the widow of David Rogers. Also killed were husband, wife and daughter, Harry, Millicent Jane and Audrey Rogers. 

Harry – the son of Mary Maria - was aged 42, Millicent Jane was 41 and their daughter was just four.